them to be standing by in case of other spills elsewhere. you d say, look, the nation s worst environmental disaster is unfolding right here, right now. what does the federal government say to that? not much. admiral thad allen last week saying that working around the 1990 law is, and i quote, a work in progress. is that what you would say if this country was being attacked? meantime, new waves of oil hitting the shore in mississippi and florida. new beach closings in both states. and officials closing the inlet into pensacola bay as a six-square-mile sheet of thick reddish oil patches is getting closer. what about foreign countries offering up their skimming vessels? turns out there s a law against that, the jones act of 1920, intended to prevent foreign ships from taking part in american domestic trade, taking cargo from one american port to the other. the law meaning that foreign skimmers cannot pick up oil within three miles of shore
mexico and heads towards louisiana, it will need five days to evacuate the massive operation and you heard steve say that there will be that kind of time available. that operation includes about 1,500 people on 45 ships and rigs. bp says more equipment is on the way right now, actually from brazil. bp also announced the former fema director james lee whit is being brought in to help bp refine its response. meanwhile, while oil spreads beaches in florida are being closed to visitors for the first time. michelle franzen joins us from pensacola beach. michelle, the warning of not going into the water and now tell us some more about these beach closings. yeah, tamron, you have been with us for the last few days and you saw the oil come ashore the last few eveningis and days and this is the problem, you are left with tar balls all up and down the beach and really underneath here, like when you